The invention relates to scintillation cameras, and more particularly relates to detectors which are used in such cameras. In its most immediate sense, the invention relates to detectors in which a temperature gadient is established across the scintillator.
In a conventional scintillation camera, the X-Y location of a scintillation event is determined by evaluating the outputs of a plurality of photomultiplier tubes which view the event. These photomultiplier tubes are connected to a resistor matrix and the X and Y coordinates of the detected event are computed by appropriately weighting the outputs of the photomultiplier tubes involved.
A scintillation camera conventionally utilizes a large scintillation crystal which must be relatively uniform throughout its entire volume. As a result, such crystals are relatively expensive.
Further, it is impossible to locate scintillation events at the periphery of the crystal with the same degree of accuracy that is possible in the center of the crystal. Events within approximately one tube radius of the crystal edge are incorrectly located because of edge reflections. This is because of the problem of "edge packing", i.e., the inability to properly locate an event at the periphery due to edge effects.
It would be advantageous to simplify the existing circuitry which is used to evaluate and compute the location of a detector scintillation event.
It would also be advantageous to modularize the detectors which are used in scintillation camera systems.
It would likewise be advantageous to produce a detector module which did not suffer as greatly from the problem of "edge packing".
It would further be advantageous to generally improve on known devices of this type.